Senior Labor MP Martin Foley has launched an extraordinary attack on Labor's "royalty class", accusing factional vampires of robbing his party of a political soul.

In a discussion paper prepared for Labor's April 2013 state conference obtained by Fairfax Media, Mr Foley, state member for Albert Park, blasts his Right faction Victorian colleagues, accusing them of stifling democratic reforms needed to modernise Labor.

Referring to the popular Twilight Saga, Mr Foley, convener of the Victorian Labor Left, calls on supporters of reform to "drive the dagger" through the heart of the factional system by boosting the direct participation of rank and file ALP members.

"The goal needs to be a democratic, resilient Party capable of delivering when in government on the challenges of building an economy and society that both creates wealth and redistributes the benefits of growth through better opportunity and improved lives for those who need it most," the paper says.

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"Holding us back is our Party organisation. Our own soulless factional "Volturi" (who act as the unofficial royalty in the world of vampires in the Twilight Saga) control a party structure and operation that is based fundamentally on reforms of 40 years ago. Applied today they have provided the mechanism for close knit control that is counter to the Party's goals."

It came as senior party sources backed away from the possibility that former Victorian premier Steve Bracks could stage a political comeback by taking over in Nicola Roxon's safe seat of Gellibrand. One source close to Mr Bracks said he was happy with his life out of politics and was not considering contesting the seat.

But Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed there had been talk.

"There's lots of speculation, I like Steve Bracks, I think he's a great bloke and he's been a great contributor to the party, but let's wait and see for himself rather than this speculation," Mr Albanese told Sky News. "I'm sure it will be up to the pre-selectors in the electorate of Gellibrand and I'm not one of them."

Mr Foley's spray will further fuel factional tensions in Victoria, with members of the Left concerned about the influence of the dominant Right, controlled by senior party figures Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy.

Mr Foley also takes a direct jab at Prime Minister Julia Gillard – who is notionally also on the Left – over her "captains pick" decision to install star athlete Nova Peris in a Northern Territory senate position.

He says the move runs the risk of disenfranchining party activists, plus drawing accusations of "tokenism" and alienating the community.

The Left are pushing for a raft of reforms – including adopting the British model where the positions of prime minister and deputy prime minister would be determined by the parliamentary Labor party, party members and affiliated trade unions. Under the proposal, MPs would get 60 per cent of the vote, while party and trade unions would have a 40 per cent say.

Both Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard promised to make the Labor party more democratic, yet were criticised for making unilateral decisions relating to party membership.